EDGARTOWN — Officials have tracked down the dog they believe viciously attacked two miniature horses Saturday at a farm on Meetinghouse Way, killing one and wounding the other.

The dog, a 3-year-old Old English bulldog crossbreed named Mugsy, apparently jumped a 4-foot-tall split-rail fence reinforced with sheep fencing and went right for the horse's jugular, Edgartown animal control officer Barbara Prada said Sunday.

"He ripped the jugular out and ripped half the face off," Prada said, adding that the second horse had puncture wounds around its face.

Acting on a tip, Prada and police went to the home of the dog's owner, Adam Mahoney of Edgartown, who told them Mugsy and another dog were loose at the time the attack occurred.

Mahoney didn't know that one of his dogs might have been responsible for attacking the horse but said Mugsy was dirty and had blood on him when he came home, Prada said.

Mahoney's other dog, a 4-year-old pointer crossbreed, didn't have any blood on it, Prada said, adding that she didn't think the pointer was capable of the attack.

Ellen Harley, who owns the farm at 40 Meetinghouse Way where the attack occurred, did not respond to messages left at several phone numbers listed in her name.

"I'm not really sure what to do about that," Mahoney said when reached by telephone on Sunday. "I want to do what's right for everyone."

After a woman on the line told Mahoney to hang up the phone the call was cut off. When a reporter called the number again nobody answered.

"They're in total shock," Prada said about Mugsy's owners.

The dog was adopted from the Animal Shelter of Martha's Vineyard and has all its papers in order, Prada said. He is between 45 and 50 pounds but solid, she said, adding that the dog had once climbed a 12-foot-high fence at the animal shelter.

Mugsy is now under a 10-day quarantine at the town pound, she said. The pointer is under quarantine at the Mahoneys' home just to be safe, Prada said.

"The owner of the horse may file a written complaint that they own a dangerous or nuisance dog," Prada said about what could happen next.

Selectmen would then decide what should happen with the dog, she said.

"You don't know what could happen if he gets loose," she said, adding that if Mugsy attacked another animal and somebody tried to pull it off he might attack a person. "When dogs get into a killing frenzy all bets are off the table."